Growing up together
by becky280596
Summary: What if Isobel died at the same time as Reginald Crawley? What if Patrick Crawley died of a childhood disease? What if Matthew is forced to become the heir and move to the abbey after the loss of his parents, how will he cope? Matthew/Mary eventually
1. Chapter 1

What if Isobel died at the same time as Reginald Crawley? What if Patrick Crawley died of a childhood disease? What if Matthew is forced to become the heir and move to the abbey after the loss of his parents, how will he cope?

Completely AU, none of the ages are right, nor are the deaths but they needed to be this way for the story to work, get over it its fan fiction

Matthew's POV

Matthew Crawley was neither happy to have his life moved from Manchester, where his parents were buried, where his school was, where all his friends were, to Downton Abbey or pleased to find out he was the heir to the place. He was still grieving and desperately wanted to stay in the place that held the most memories of his parents for him, he didn't particularly want to live with strangers, of course he had met Cousin Robert when he came to see him but that didn't mean he knew him. However as he was only just 14 he didn't really have much choice in the matter. His schooling had been changed as his new guardian wanted him to be taught somewhere appropriate for the new heir of Downton and so he would be going to Eton come fall.

Cousin Robert had told him all about the new family he had never met, the Dowager Countess Violet, who certainly sounded like an interesting character. The countess of Grantham or Cousin Cora as he was supposed to call her now, who was actually American, and of course his three younger cousins, Mary who was a year younger than him, Edith who was 10 being almost four years younger than him and finally Sybil who was currently 5 years old. He was slightly terrified of meeting his cousins, them being girls and all; he hadn't really had much contact with girls near to his own age.

He had been on the very early train deciding that if he was up he might as well go he couldn't exactly put it off any longer after all. He knew he would arrive far too early at the Abbey so he assumed no one would be up, not even the fleet of servants he was sure they had. He resolved himself to sitting on the doorstep until someone found him. As the car pulled up at the front of the house he got out and looked up in awe at the house he was to live in now.

Mary's POV

As the only real light sleeper in the house Mary was the only consistently early riser, usually she would stay in her room until it was a respectable time to get up. However it wasn't every morning that she woke up to the sound of tyres coming up the drive way, remembering that HE was supposed to be coming today she pulled on a robe and slippers and quietly ran down the stairs. It wouldn't any good for another heir to die of the cold before she'd even had a chance to meet him. Mary knew that the only way she would be able to keep Downton would be to marry him, after all that's what she ha told everyday by her mother ever since her fifth birthday. It was Patrick now it was this new boy.

She got to the receiving hall in time to see him stepping from the car through the window, she couldn't really see much after all it was only five in the morning and still dark outside, however it would only be half an hour and the servants would be up so she wouldn't have to entertain him for too long. She pulled the heavy lock across the door and opened it slightly seeing that the car had already left the driveway,

"I assume your Matthew then"

He leapt what seemed to be five feet in the air and yelped, she smirked slightly at the image,

"What, oh yes that's me."

"Well then Matthew, it's a pleasure to meet you, I'm Mary, the girl that was meant to be a boy well at least according to my father," she murmured the last bit.

Ignoring her last comment he replied, "Well nice to meet you."

"Yes, yes, come in before you catch a chill, we can't have another heir dying can we?"

She could see he had completely missed the sarcasm, she smiled he seemed to be so naïve but he was older than her so she couldn't really tell him that to his face.

"Come on I can take you to the parlour while we wait for someone to wake up. So are you excited to live here it certainly is a good place to grow up, imagine all this space just to roam around in." she said with a wistful air. As they walked in to the parlour she smirked very slightly as his extremely awed look,

"Yes, it's beautiful, isn't it? One day all this will be yours," and hopefully mine she added in her head, he didn't seem too bad, he hadn't really said anything but she supposed she hadn't given him much time.

"It's strange, one minute I was a doctor's son now I'm heir to all of this, I'll do my best but I don't think my best will be enough for all this." He said.

"Of course it will, you will end up loving Downton just as much as Papa does; he's always said that Downton was his fourth child. Don't worry your not your own you have us all to help you to make sure you get there. So do you ride?"

"Well no there wasn't any need in Manchester and before you ask I can't shoot either."

"Really, well then I just suppose I'll have to teach you then, not the shooting of course, papa will handle all that but I can certainly teach you to ride, we'll start in a couple of days, after all we only have a few months to get you ready for Eton."

At that moment the scullery maid walked in to start the fire.

"Ah, finally someone's up, could you fetch Carson please and tell him the Matthew Crawley has arrived early."

"Of course ma'am, right away ma'am," the maid said stuttering slightly as she rushed out of the room.

"Who was that?" Matthew asked, "Oh just the scullery maid, she lights all the fires in the morning", she said dismissively.

That was when Matthew realised that things really were going to be very different at Downton and he best get used to it quickly.


	2. Chapter 2

Mat POV

After being discretely questioned by Carson Matthew was shown to his room. As he was lead through the house he couldn't help but stare in such a fashion that made Carson give a small smile. When he reached his room Carson told him that breakfast would be ready at eight and he was quite welcome to wander down when he wanted to.

He stared around in abject horror at his room, it was much larger than anything he was used to with an attached bathroom area and the bed looked like it could swallow him whole. He plopped down on a chair in a corner of the room next to his new bookshelf and didn't know whether to laugh or cry, it was so strange here and so abnormal he didn't know what to do with himself.

He looked at the two trunks he had with him, they represented his old life that looked like it would definitely not fit in here and Carson had told him he would have his own valet and that he just had to ring the bell to call for him. Gosh his own personal servant, sure they had had a cook and a maid at home but nothing on this scale.

He had been brooding for a few hours when he heard a light knock on the door and when he went to answer it; it was none other than his cousin Mary. He hadn't really had a chance to really look at her but now she was dressed and ready for the day he had to admit that she was really rather beautiful.

"Hello Matthew," she said far too brightly for eight o'clock in the morning, "are you ready for breakfast? I hope you don't mind but Papa sent me to get you. He thought you might need a guide to get around this place, it's quite the rabbit warren." She giggled slightly, he looked at her with a face akin to shock, was this what all girls were like, surely the stories he had heard couldn't be right if they were all like Mary.

"Ah, er, yes, quite ready, I won't need anything will I?"

"Oh no of course not, you'll have breakfast and then Papa will show you around, show you some of the grounds, that sort of thing. After all this will all be yours someday and then you will quite possibly have the afternoon free."

"Maybe I could trouble you for your time this afternoon then, I'm sure you know all the best places on the estate."

Mar POV

Was she mistaken or was he flirting with her? Maybe he didn't realise he was doing it but whatever it was she certainly enjoyed the attention.

"Of course I will, you can meet Sybil and Edith as well I suppose, Sybil was especially excited to meet you. I think she thinks you will be a terrific new play mate. Well come on then I'll show you to the dining room."

I lead him through the many corridors pointing out certain things, my own room and the nursery and then the library downstairs. We reached the dining room and he hesitated so I pushed him through the door.

"Ah there you are Mary, hello Matthew. So how do you like Downton then, is your room alright?"

"Everything's fine, perfect infact it will just take a little time to get used to everything, all the new people and finding my way around this place."

It was then that she heard little feet running down the stairs and through the corridor, it seemed that Papa had invited her younger sisters to breakfast to meet Matthew.

"Papa, Papa." Sybil shouted giggling as he picked her up and placed her in his lap,

"Hello my dear, are you and Edith excited to meet your new cousin, you can call him Matthew, if that's alright?" he asked Matthew who nodded his head quickly. Sybil squealed again pushed herself off her fathers lap and ran around to Matthew and stuck out her hand.

"Hello, my name is Lady Sybil Violet Crawley but you can call me Sybil."

"Hello Sybil, I'm Matthew", he picked her up and placed her on his lap being quite tall already, almost as tall as Papa and started up a conversation with her, seeming more at ease with her than anybody else.

Mary watched on with an affectionate smile as Matthew got Sybil and Edith to some extent to open up, something they wouldn't normally have done with an almost stranger.

After they had eaten nanny came and fetched Sybil and Edith and Papa stood and invited Matthew for a tour of the grounds. As they went off I decided to go back up to my room, I watched them walk the grounds pondering what Matthew would be like that afternoon when she got him on his own that afternoon and made him relaxed. She found that she actually wanted to get to know him, she'd never seen someone be so good with Sybil and darling Sybil was so very important to her. She wasted the morning away day dreaming about her future, she wasn't sure that she wanted to marry him or anyone for that matter but it wasn't like she would have much choice in the matter so if she had to marry someone it could at least be someone she liked. She heard the gong go for lunch and hurried downstairs, strangely finding herself anxious to see his face again.


	3. Chapter 3

Mat POV

Cousin Robert was very nice and the estate was beautiful and he could see himself being very happy here in the future but he just wasn't quite ready to smile again, to be happy, it had only been three months since his father had died and his mother did the unthinkable to join him and left him behind. He knew it would get easier, especially now that he was away from his childhood home and he couldn't see their ghosts everywhere he looked. He had a new family and a new friend in the form of Mary, his life wasn't perfect yet but it looked like it would be and soon. They heard the gong for lunch, something else to get used to he thought, so he and Robert walked back to the house and strangely he found himself anxious to see her face again.

Mar POV

She rushed downstairs, obviously not running because that would be unladylike and her granny would kill her literally, she got more and more excited. As she reached the hall she saw her father and Matthew coming through the door,

"Matthew, so how did you enjoy your tour of the grounds then, they're so beautiful, aren't they?"

"Very beautiful but I'm sure you know all of the unofficial spots to go to, don't you? I think they're the places I'd like you to take me this afternoon, places where I could go to be on own if need be."

"I'd love to, uh; well we could take a picnic basket with some of Mrs Patmore's famous cakes and biscuits and perhaps a blanket if you want and a couple of good books." She said nervously. "After all it's a perfectly lovely day out and I know the perfect place we could go, somewhere quiet away from the hustle and bustle of the house."

Had she really just done that, invited him to her most favourite private place in the whole world on their own, no chaperone, she'd never taken a boy there before as a matter of fact she'd never taken anyone there before. She knew she shouldn't be thinking about it, but he was the most handsome fourteen year old she ever seen, she certainly didn't mind spending the afternoon with him.

"That sounds wonderful, well then." He crooked his arm for her to take, "May I escort you to lunch Milady"

She accepted giggling, "Of course you may kind sir."

They walked laughing and talking into the dining room and joined their family for lunch.

Mat POV

Had she really just done that, invited him to what sounded like a very special place, he went and got his hat from his room and took off his jacket and put on his best summer jumper. He looked in the mirror suddenly nervous that she would find something funny with his appearance; he left his room and went in the direction that he was sure her room lay in.

He arrived at her door and knocked and waited patiently,

"Hello Matthew, I've asked Carson for a basket but I thought we better go to the library for the books unless you have one with you."  
"I do actually, a book of Greek myths, I reading about Andromeda and her saviour at the moment."

"Sounds interesting, perhaps you'll have to read it to me."

"I think I'd like that, well shall we go?"

"Come on, I'll take you downstairs, I'm sure that the basket will be ready, if we go out the servants door we can get their quicker."

She grabbed his hand and pulled him along trying to get him to go quicker whilst trying to keep her hat on top of her head at the same time, which didn't look easy. It was some delicate light blue thing that looked wonderful on her, complimenting her pale complexion and dark chestnut hair beautifully. He couldn't believe he had just thought that, this was younger cousin he couldn't possibly like her could he? Surely not like that, he promised himself he would ignore it as best he could.

Mar POV

He looked so dashing in hat and summer jumper that she couldn't help but blush, she led him down the servant stairs that they weren't technically meant to be on but well she'd been coming down here to see Carson for so long that she didn't think it really mattered. She saw Mrs Hughes and asked if there basket was ready for them and she pointed her towards Mr Carson's room.

"Ahh Lady Mary and Master Matthew I have something special for you to welcome Master Matthew to Downton."

"Oh Mrs Patmore hasn't made some of her brownies has she, oh Matthew you'll love them, really they are the best things you will ever taste, my grandmother in America gave her the recipe."

"Well I guess I'll have to try some then."

"Here you are Lady Mary; enjoy yourselves, who knows long this weather will last."

Matthew took the basket like the gentleman she knew he was and Mary lead him out the door, as soon as they were out of the sight of the house, he took her hand and she started to skip a little pulling him to their destination laughing and chatting.

Mat POV

She captivated him, her laugh, her smile her voice, it was all perfect and he just couldn't get enough he let her start to pull him along and they started to run to wherever this place was. She shouted "come on its not far." He caught up to her and they ran off laughing and shouting behaving like the almost children they were meant to be, throwing off the shackles of what was expected of them and just lived.


	4. Chapter 4

Mar POV

When they reached her special place she pulled the blanket out and spread it over the ground underneath an oak tree. It was so warm that she took off her hat, shoes, cardigan and stockings as she didn't want to ruin them; she noticed that Matthew had blushed a deep red when she exposed her ankles. Her mother had just started to dress her in the full length dresses of a woman, having finally been able to stop wearing the pinafores of her childhood. She watched as Matthew pulled off his hat and his jumper, his shoes and socks and rolled up his shirt sleeves.

They lay back on the blanket next to each other and stared up at the clouds,

"So Matthew tell me about yourself, you see I find myself not even knowing when your birthday is."

"Well let's see, I was born October 10th 14 years ago in Manchester, my father was a doctor and mother a nurse and until recently I went to Manchester Grammar school. What about you?"

"I was born July 15th almost fourteen years ago right here at Downton and I have a governess during school time." Suddenly she said "Do you think you will be happy? I so desperately want you to be happy here." The unspoken with me was felt by both of them.

"So then are you excited for Eton, Papa said it was the best school to go to as a boy, you'll make lots of new friends, as long as you don't forget me of course."

"I suppose I am yes, it's an amazing opportunity for a boy like me."

"A boy like you, what on earth do you mean, you're an earl's heir, you will meet plenty of our kind there because you are our kind, come on there's a spring at the end of the field, let's go play."

Come on she shouted as she ran down to the other end of the field and he followed laughing reaching out to grab her hand to slow her down. They both felt an electric shock that shot through them and they let go of each others hands in surprise.

Mat POV

He shook his head to try and clear the fog that had appeared in his head but it didn't help, he looked at Mary and noticed the blush rising on her face and smirked in an almost cocky way knowing that he had somehow caused it. He took her hand again and they continued on to the little stream and ran into it and began to play around splashing each other. Pretty soon they were both quite wet, his shirt was almost translucent and she was dripping. She suggested that they go back to the blanket and dry out in the sun. Still holding hands they walked back to blanket at opened up the basket, finding inside some of Mrs Patmore's brownies as promised.

"Oh you have to try these; they're like little drops of heaven, her best cake."

"Really I've never had one."  
"Well I guess they are very American, you see mama is from America, you haven't met her yet she comes back from York tonight but when you do you will hear that she has the most American accent. Even after all these years in England, it still annoys granny even now. Oh that's another thing granny will come for dinner tonight, be polite, be a gentleman but just ignore her, she has always been and will always be her own very special person."

"Well I'll be sure to be careful then, so it's your birthday soon"

"Yes just under a month, I can't wait, I'll be fourteen and allowed into Ripon on my own with just a chaperone. You can join me, I can't wait to show all the best places around Downton, but if we hurry back up to the house we can go to the sweet shop in the village if you'd like, it's the best for miles around, you see I can remember going with Papa when I was very young and he would by my favourite sweeties for me."

"I'd love to" he stopped her.

He pulled her closer and bent down and kissed her chastely on the cheek,  
"Thank you, so much Mary for sharing your place with me, maybe it could be our place now."

She blushed, "I think I'd like that."


End file.
